The Lonely Dark

The Lonely Dark by Ren Warom
Cover Art Daniele Serra
Irenon and the Cerenauts aboard her will be the final hope of thousands of colonists deserted after the failure of the AI deep space programme. The burden falls on Ingmar and Yuri, orphans both, chosen for their ability to cope with isolation and innate mental strength. But how to anticipate what level of strength might be needed when only one creature, the AI Danai, knows what waits for them out there in the darkness? Danger that cannot be seen, quantified, or understood. That will find them in their worst and best memories, the sanctuaries and horrors of their past and, eventually, the corridors of the Irenon herself.

This is where Ingmar will finally understand the last words Danai said to her, a warning: Stay away from the lonely dark.

Starburst Magazine : Author Ren Warom writes in a free-flowing, personal and highly evocative way. This is a tale of introspection and much of the action takes place in the protagonist’s mind. What could have easily become a drawn out exercise in navel gazing becomes a thrilling journey into the unknown, fraught with both paranoia and self-discovery.

The BFS had good things to say : We are drawn into Ingmar’s deepest experiences; we are fully with her in her anxiety as she comes to understand the last warning the Danai gives to her: Stay away from the lonely dark.

That may be Danai’s advice to Ingmar but it is not my advice to you. If you have a chance to pick up a copy of The Lonely Dark, I recommend that you do.